Publishers warn of negative economic effect of Copyright Act amendment
The Publishers’ Association of SA (Pasa) has warned of the negative economic impact on the industry resulting from far-reaching amendments to the Copyright Act. One of these is that revenue and employment would decline, according to a study undertaken by PwC for the association. The study envisaged a weighted average decline in sales of 33% or R2.1bn, along with an increase in imports and a fall in exports. Pasa commissioned the study in the absence of a socio-economic impact assessment of the proposed amendments by the government. Parliament’s trade and industry portfolio committee is currently holding public hearings on the Copyright Amendment Bill. Of particular concern to publishers are the exceptions from copyright of material used for educational purposes. This could possibly entitle educational institutions, such as schools and universities, to copy entire books without having to pay a licence fee to the copyright rights holder. Under existing licences from publishers, academ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.